Spencer County Public Schools

Listed by NCES as Spencer County (district ID 2105490)

Public school district · Spencer County · Kentucky · NCES district ID 2105490

Spencer County Public Schools spent $12,139 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 96% of the other Kentucky districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,912). Its 6 schools enrolled 3,341 students in 2024-25; 53.4% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,316 per student, up 1.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 94% (Kentucky: 91.4%).

Spending per student among Kentucky districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Spencer County Public Schools in enrollment (3,207 to 3,459 students) and Spencer County Public Schools itself.

Current spending per student, Kentucky districts closest in size to Spencer County Public Schools, FY23Harlan County Public Schools $14,873; Ashland Independent $14,691; Lincoln County Schools $14,375; Johnson County Schools $13,833; Wayne County $13,466; Marion County Public Schools $13,327; Grant County Schools $13,283; Logan County Schools $12,613; Rowan County Schools $12,419; Spencer County Public Schools $12,139; State median, 1,000+ students $13,912.10k12k14k16kHarlan County Public Schools$14,873Ashland Independent$14,691Lincoln County Schools$14,375Johnson County Schools$13,833Wayne County$13,466Marion County Public Schools$13,327Grant County Schools$13,283Logan County Schools$12,613Rowan County Schools$12,419Spencer County Public Schools$12,139State median, 1,000+ students $13,912
Current spending per student, Kentucky districts closest in size to Spencer County Public Schools, FY23Harlan County Public Schools $14,873; Ashland Independent $14,691; Lincoln County Schools $14,375; Johnson County Schools $13,833; Wayne County $13,466; Marion County Public Schools $13,327; Grant County Schools $13,283; Logan County Schools $12,613; Rowan County Schools $12,419; Spencer County Public Schools $12,139; State median, 1,000+ students $13,912.10k12k14k16kHarlan County Public Schools$14,873Ashland Independent$14,691Lincoln County Schools$14,375Johnson County Schools$13,833Wayne County$13,466Marion County Public Schools$13,327Grant County Schools$13,283Logan County Schools$12,613Rowan County Schools$12,419Spencer County Public Schools$12,139State median, 1,000+ students $13,912
Current spending per student, Kentucky districts closest in size to Spencer County Public Schools, FY23Harlan County Public Schools $14,873; Ashland Independent $14,691; Lincoln County Schools $14,375; Johnson County Schools $13,833; Wayne County $13,466; Marion County Public Schools $13,327; Grant County Schools $13,283; Logan County Schools $12,613; Rowan County Schools $12,419; Spencer County Public Schools $12,139; State median, 1,000+ students $13,912.10k12k14k16kHarlan County Public Schools$14,873Ashland Independent$14,691Lincoln County Schools$14,375Johnson County Schools$13,833Wayne County$13,466Marion County Public Schools$13,327Grant County Schools$13,283Logan County Schools$12,613Rowan County Schools$12,419Spencer County Public Schools$12,139State median, 1,000+ students $13,912
Current spending per student, Kentucky districts closest in size to Spencer County Public Schools, FY23Harlan County Public Schools $14,873; Ashland Independent $14,691; Lincoln County Schools $14,375; Johnson County Schools $13,833; Wayne County $13,466; Marion County Public Schools $13,327; Grant County Schools $13,283; Logan County Schools $12,613; Rowan County Schools $12,419; Spencer County Public Schools $12,139; State median, 1,000+ students $13,912.10k12k14k16kHarlan County Public Schools$14,873Ashland Independent$14,691Lincoln County Schools$14,375Johnson County Schools$13,833Wayne County$13,466Marion County Public Schools$13,327Grant County Schools$13,283Logan County Schools$12,613Rowan County Schools$12,419Spencer County Public Schools$12,139State median, 1,000+ students $13,912

Where the money came from

$43,899,000 in revenue: 53.4% state, 34.9% local and 11.6% federal. Total spending including $649,000 of capital outlay was $42,997,000, or $12,763 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Spencer County Public Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $23,459,000; Local $15,334,000; Federal $5,106,000; total $43,899,000.
  • State$23,459,000 53%
  • Local$15,334,000 35%
  • Federal$5,106,000 12%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 137 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25

3,369 students in 2022-23, 3,323 students in 2023-24, 3,341 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Spencer County Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,369, 2023-24: 3,323, 2024-25: 3,34101k2k3k4k2022-233,3692023-243,3232024-253,341
Spencer County Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,369, 2023-24: 3,323, 2024-25: 3,34101k2k3k4k2022-233,3692023-243,3232024-253,341
Spencer County Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,369, 2023-24: 3,323, 2024-25: 3,34101k2k3k4k2022-233,3692023-243,3232024-253,341
Spencer County Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,369, 2023-24: 3,323, 2024-25: 3,34101k2k3k4k2022-233,3692023-243,3232024-253,341

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-233,369185.418.2
2023-243,323188.217.7
2024-253,341194.217.2

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$10,747,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,190 per student

Spencer County Public Schools booked $10,747,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 185 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $57,954 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 64 in 100 Kentucky districts with a figure (state median $56,497, 171 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Kentucky teacher salary at $54,574 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$8,122,00075.6%
Special education$1,696,00015.8%
Vocational$557,0005.2%
Other programs$372,0003.5%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $2,907 in 2018-19, $2,990 in 2019-20, $3,078 in 2020-21, $3,221 in 2021-22, $3,190 in 2022-23.

Spencer County Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $2,907, 2019-20: $2,990, 2020-21: $3,078, 2021-22: $3,221, 2022-23: $3,19001k2k3k4k2018-19$2,9072019-20$2,9902020-21$3,0782021-22$3,2212022-23$3,190
Spencer County Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $2,907, 2019-20: $2,990, 2020-21: $3,078, 2021-22: $3,221, 2022-23: $3,19001k2k3k4k2018-19$2,9072019-20$2,9902020-21$3,0782021-22$3,2212022-23$3,190
Spencer County Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $2,907, 2019-20: $2,990, 2020-21: $3,078, 2021-22: $3,221, 2022-23: $3,19001k2k3k4k2018-19$2,9072019-20$2,9902020-21$3,0782021-22$3,2212022-23$3,190
Spencer County Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $2,907, 2019-20: $2,990, 2020-21: $3,078, 2021-22: $3,221, 2022-23: $3,19001k2k3k4k2018-19$2,9072019-20$2,9902020-21$3,0782021-22$3,2212022-23$3,190

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Spencer County Public Schools scored proficient or above: 45% in reading and 46% in math, against 44.7% in reading and 37.8% in math across Kentucky. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Kentucky, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtKentuckyStudents tested
Reading and language arts45%44.7%1,606
Math46%37.8%1,606

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

94% of the 254 students in Spencer County Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 91.4% across Kentucky. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtKentucky
Four-year graduation rate94%91.4%
Students in the class25449,023

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

2 elementary schools, 1,462 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Spencer County Elementary School80116.727.7%Schoolwide program
Taylorsville Elementary School66115.545.7%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 690 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Spencer County Middle School69017.738.0%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 986 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Spencer County High School98618.733.5%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

2 other schools, 203 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Spencer County Early Learning Center15018.838.0%Not Title I
Hillview Academy5313.371.7%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Spencer County Public Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Spencer County Public Schools

  1. Kentucky districts by spending per studentSpencer County Public Schools ranks 132 of 137 Kentucky districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,139).#132 of 137
  2. Every school district in KentuckySpencer County Public Schools is the number 48 by size of 174 Kentucky districts, with 3,369 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#48 of 174
  3. Lincoln County SchoolsThe next larger Kentucky district: 3,416 students in fall 2022, $14,375 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,375
  4. Johnson County SchoolsThe next smaller Kentucky district: 3,344 students in fall 2022, $13,833 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,833
  5. Compare Spencer County Public Schools with Lincoln County SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Spencer County High School, its largest high school986 students in 2024-25, 18.7 per teacher.986
  7. Teacher salary spending across KentuckySpencer County Public Schools spent $57,954 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $56,497); spending, not a salary.$57,954
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Spencer County Public Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Spencer County Public Schools?
    6 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high, 2 other), enrolling 3,341 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Spencer County Public Schools spend per student?
    $12,139 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Kentucky median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,912 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,316 per student, up 1.5% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Spencer County Public Schools' money come from?
    $43,899,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 53.4% state, 34.9% local and 11.6% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Spencer County Public Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 286 of the 3,563 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 8.0%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Spencer County Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $10,747,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,190 per student. Divided by the 185 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $57,954 per teacher, more than 64 in 100 Kentucky districts (state median $56,497). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Kentucky teacher salary at $54,574 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Spencer County Public Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Spencer County Public Schools scored proficient or above: 45% in reading and 46% in math, against 44.7% in reading and 37.8% in math across Kentucky. Kentucky's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Spencer County Public Schools?
    94% of the 254 students in Spencer County Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 91.4% across Kentucky. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Spencer County Public Schools' NCES district ID?
    2105490. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25